Electrical device with improved terminal means

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED COMBINATION COMPRISES AN INSULATING HOUSING AND AS CLAMP-TYPE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL CONNECTOR SUPPORTED ON THE HOUSING. THE HOUSING IS FORMED WITH A CAVITY OPEN AT THE TOP AND AT ONE END THEREOF. THE TERMINAL DEVICE, WHICH IS SUPPORTED IN THE CAVITY, COMPRISES A CLAMP SUPPORT AND CLAMP MEANS SUPPORTED ON THE CLAMP SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT WITHIN A LATERAL DIMENSION NO GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BARRIERS. WITH THE CLAMP MEANS IN THE OPEN POSITION, A CONDUCTING LINE, WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE OPEN END OF THE CAVITY, CAN BE MOVED INTO THE SUPPORTED POSITION THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF THE CAVITY. THE PRESSURE CONNECTOR COMPRISES IMPROVED MEANS FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING THE CONDUCTING LINE TO A CONDUCTOR WITHIN THE CAVITY.

Jan. 26, 1971 CQLEY 3,559,156

, ELECTRICAL DEVICE WITH IMPROVED TERMINAL MEANS Filed Jan. 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M '2 m M Q I N m N N} 0 b \l 3- I m N A g O)- W M M- \Q as CD WITNESSES INVENTOR iz Kenneth R. Coley.

Jan. 26; 1971 K. R. coLEY ELECTRICAL DEVICE WITH IMPROVED TERMINAL MEANS Filed Jan; 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CFIG.5.

United States Patent .Oflice Patented Jan. 26, 1971 US. Cl. 339-272 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved combination comprises an insulating housing and a clamp-type electrical terminal connector supported on the housing. The housing is formed with a cavity open at the top and at one end thereof. The terminal device, which is supported in the cavity, comprises a clamp support and clamp means supported on the clamp support for movement within a lateral dimension no greater than the distance between the barriers. With the clamp means in the open position, a conducting line, which extends through the open end of the cavity, can be moved into the supported position through the open top of the cavity. The pressure connector comprises improved means for connecting and disconnecting the conducting line to a conductor within the cavity.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS filed Jan. 18, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,492,614, and Ser.

No. 698,848, filed Jan. 18, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,480,900.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In the art of electrical control devices, it is often desirable to have a terminal device supported between relatively high insulating barriers in order to insulate the terminal device from certain conductors. It is old to support terminal devices between barriers and to provide an end-type opening so that a conducting line can be moved endwise into the opening to be connected to the terminal device. This invention is directed to an improved combination wherein the conducting line can be laid into the terminal device through an open top of a cavity in which the terminal device is mounted. The improved terminal device comprises clamp means that can be moved from an open position to a closed position without moving outside of a lateral dimension no greater than the distance between the insulating barriers. Thus, a minimum dimension can be maintained between the barriers in the cavity. The improved terminal device comprises an improved clamp-type pressure connector for connecting and disconnecting the conducting line to another conductor that is supported in the cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An improved combination comprises an insulating support comprising a base part and pair of insulating barrier parts extending from the base part to form a cavity open at the top and at at least one end thereof. A clamp-type electrical connector, comprising a clamp support and clamp means, is supported in the cavity. The clamp support comprises a pair of generally parallel spaced sidewalls forming a pocket open at the top and at at least one end thereof. The clamp support is supported in the cavity in a nested relationship. The clamp means is supported on the clamp support for movement generally along a plane generally parallel to the sidewalls of the cavity and sidewalls of the clamp support. A conductor, which is supported in the cavity and in the pocket, extends through opening means in the other end of both the cavity and the pocket. With the clamp means in the open position, a conducting line, that is to extend into the open end of the pocket and cavity in the mounted position, can be moved into the mounted position by being laid in through the open top of the cavity and pocket. When the conducting line is in position engaging the conductor, the clamp means can be moved down to a connected position closing the open top of the pocket of the clamp support. The clamp means comprises a screw-type pressure connector and a special retainer that cooperates with the clamp support such that upon rotation of the screw, pressure can be increased on the conducting line to provide a pressure connection between the conducting line and the conductor. The clamp means is readily disconnected by rotating the screw to a position disengaging the retaining member from the clamp support and by moving the clamp means to the open position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a circuit breaker con structed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp-type terminal connector of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the terminal connector being shown in the open position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the terminal connector being shown in the pressure-connecting position;

FIG. 5 is a partial view similar to FIG. 4 showing the terminal device in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a top elevational view of the retaining member seen in FIGS. 3-5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the retaining member seen in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, on a smaller scale than FIG. 1, of the circuit breaker seen in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, there is shown therein a circuit breaker 5 comprising an insulating housing 7 and a circuit-breaker structure 9 supported on the housing 7.

The insulating housing 7 is a two-part housing comprising a base 11, having a generally planar bottom and a cover 13 secured to the base 11 by means of a plurality of rivets 15. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 8, the circuit-breaker structure 9 is supported in a compartment between the face 11 and cover 13 with the cover 13 ending on the left at the mating part 17. On the left of the mating part 17, the base 11 comprises three insulating barriers 19 that extend upward to provide two adjacent cavities 21 for receiving two clamp-type electrical pressure connectors 23. The base 11 and cover 13 cooperate to form two adjacent compartments and two adjacent cavities for housing the parts of the two pole units of the circuit breaker 5. Since the parts of the two pole units are identical, only one pole unit will be herein described, it being understood that the description applies to both pole units.

As is illustrated in FIG. 2, there is a separate operating 'mechanism 25, trip structure 27 and trip device 29 supwhere the conductor 33 is connected to a clip-on type terminal 37 that is supported in the cavity 35. The cavity 35 is open at the bottom of the base 11 for receiving a stab conductor that would protrude into the cavity 35 to be engaged by the clip-on connector 37 for connection to the stab conductor. A movable contact 39 is supported on an elongated contact arm 41 that is operated between the opened and closed positions by operation of an operating member 43 which operates the operating mech anism 25. The operating member 43 is an insulating operating member comprising a handle part 45 that extends out through an opening in the front of the cover 13 to permit manual operation of the circuit breaker. The contact arm 41 is electrically connected to a bimetal 49 and rigid conductor 51 by means of a pair of flexible conductors 53 and 55 respectively. The bimetal 49 is fixed at one end 57 thereof to the rigid conductor 51 so that the path from the contact arm to the end 57 comprises parallel paths between the conductor 51 and the bimetal 49. From the part 57 to the terminal 53, the conducting path comprises merely the rigid conductor 51 that extends into the cavity 21 at an opening provided in the housing and that extends into a pocket of the terminal connector 23 through an opening at the end of the terminal connector. An insulating member 61 is provided to insulate the conductor 33 from the conductors that are positioned above the insulating member 61.

The circuit through the pole unit seen in FIG. 2 extends from the clip-on connector 37 through the conductor 33, contact 31, contact 39, contact arm 41, flexible conductors 53, 55, conductors 49, 51, the conductor 51 to a conducting line 65 that is connected to the conductor 51 by means of the clamp type pressure connector 23. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the conducting line 65 comprises an insulating cover 67 that is cut away at the end to expose the conducting line for connection to the rigid conductor 51.

The circuit breaker is manually operated to the opened and closed positions by operation of the operating member 43, and automatically tripped open in response to overload currents by operation of the trip device 29. The operation of the operating mechanism and trip device is more specifically described in the above-mentioned Pats. No. 3,480,900 and No. 3,492,614.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the electrical clamp-type pressure connector 23 comprises a clamp support 71 and clamp means 73 pivotally supported on the clamp support 71. The clamp support 71 is a metallic member comprising a generally U-shaped part comprising a bight portion 75 and a pair of generally planar sidewalls 77 extending vertically from the part 75 in a generally parallel relationship to form an open top and an open end. The sidewalls 77 are bent-over at the other end and the bent-over parts are riveted (FIG. 2) by means of a rivet 79 to provide increased support for the sidewalls 77. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is an opening 81 at the other end of the support 71 for receiving the rigid conductor 51 that extends into the pocket from the other end. The bight part 75 is provided with a pair of openings 87 for receiving projections 89 (FIG. 2) of the conductor 51. The conductor 51 is fixedly secured on the housing in a manner specifically described in the above-mentioned Pat. No. 3,480,900. With the projections 89 in the openings 87, the conductor 51 captures the connector 23 in the cavity 21. Each of the sidewalls 77 (FIG. 3) is provided with a rectangular Opening 91 and a circular opening 93. The clamp means 73 comprises a generally L- shaped support member 95 having a pair of ears 97 on one leg thereof and a tapped opening in the other leg thereof. As can be seen in FIGS. 3-5, the ears 97 are positioned in the openings 93 to pivotally support the member 95 on the sidewalls 77 for pivotal movement about an axis normal to the planes of the sidewalls 77. The clamp means 73 also comprises a screw connector 99 having a plate 101 at the bottom thereof, and an opening 103 at the front thereof for receiving a tool that may be used to rotate the screw connector 99. The clamp means 73 also comprises a retaining member 105 having a pair of shoulders or ears 107 (FIGS. 6 and 7) having notches 109 therein. The screw 99 is threadedly supported in the tapped opening of the support 95, and the retaining member 105 is threaded on the screw 99 with a spacing of approximately one-half of a thread between the bottom of the retaining member 105 and the adjacent top surface of the support 95.

With the clamp-type electrical pressure connector 23 fixedly secured in the cavity 21 on the base 11 and with the rigid conductor fixedly secured over the bight part 75 and between the sidewalls 77 of the clamp support 71 in the manner shown in FIG. 2, a conducting line '65 can be readily connected to and disconnected from the conductor 51 by means of the connector 23. When it is desired to connect the conducting line 65, the clamp means 73 is pivoted about the axis of the ears 93 to the open position seen in FIG. 3. During this movement to the open position it is noted that the clamp means 73 moves along a plane parallel to the planes of the sidewalls 77 and that this movement of the clamp means is within a lateral dimension no greater than the distance between the barriers 19. With the clamp means 73 in the open position seen in FIG. 3, the conducting line 65, which extends into the open end of the cavity of the insulating base 11, and which extends into the open end of the pocket of the generally U-shaped clamp support 71, may be moved vertically down into position through the open top of the cavity 19 and through the open (FIG. 3) top of the pocket of the U-shaped clamp support 71. When the conductor 65 has been moved down into a position resting on the rigid conductor 51, the clamp means 73 is then pivoted from the open position seen in FIG. 3 to the closed position seen in FIG. 5 in which closed position the top of the pocket of the U-shaped clamp support 71 is closed. With the clamp means 73 in the closed position seen in FIG. 5, the screw 99 is rotated clockwise (FIG. 5) to the pressure-connecting position seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. As the screw 99 is rotated from the closed position seen in FIG. 5 to the pressure-connecting position seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ears 107 on the retaining member 105 enter into the openings 91 (FIG. 3) in the sidewalls 77 until they engage edges of the openings 91, which engagement prevents further rotational movement of the retaining member 105. With the retaining member 105 prevented from rotating, further rotation of the screw 99 moves the screw axially on the support and also axially on the retainer (the screw 99 being threaded into both the support 95 and the retainer 105) downward with the plate 101 exerting pressure on the conducting line 65. As pressure is exerted on the conducting line 65, the force tends to lift the clamp means 73 tending to rotate the clamp means 73 in a counterclockwise direction about the ears 93. This lifting or opening movement of the clamp means 73 is prevented by the engagement of the notches 109 (FIGS. 6 and 7) of the retaining member with the upper edges of the sidewalls 77 at the openings 91 so that further clockwise rotation of the screw 99 will increase pressure between the plate 101 and the conducting line 65 sandwiching the conducting line 65 compactly between the plate 101 and the rigid conductor 51 to provide an effective pressure connection between the conducting line 65 and the conductor 51.

When it is desired to disconnect the conducting line 65 from the conductor 51, the screw 99 is rotated counterclockwise (FIG. 1). During the initial part of this movement, the retaining member 105, which is free to move counterclockwise in the openings 91, is rotated counterclockwise until the ears 107 leave the openings 91 and until a back shoulder part 113 (FIG. 5) of the retaining member 105 engages the support 95 so that further counterclockwise movement of the screw 99 will move the screw 99 axially on both the support 95 and the retaining member 105, maintaining'a spacing of approximately one-half of a thread between the support 95 and the retaining member 105. Further counterclockwise movement of the screw 99 is not necessary because with the ears 107 free of the openings 91, the clamp means 73 is free to be pivoted counterclockwise about the ears 93 from the closed position seen in FIG. to the open position seen in FIG. 3. With the clamp means 73 in the open position seen in FIG. 3, the conducting line 65 (FIG. 2) can be lifted up through the open top of the clamp support 71 and through the open top of the cavity 21 to be removed from the circuit breaker.

From the foregoing it can be understood that there is provided by this invention an improved combination comprising an insulating housing and a clamp-type electrical terminal connector supported on the housing. The housing comprises barriers that extend upward from the base part to form a cavity that is open at the top and at the outer end thereof. The terminal connector comprises a generally U-shaped metallic clamp support fixedly nested in the cavity. A rigid condudctor is supported on the housing extending into the cavity and into the pocket of the clamp support for connection to a conducting line that may be moved into the mounted position through the open top of the cavity and through the open top of the clamp support with the conducting line extending into the cavity and into the clamp support from the open end of the housing. The circuit breaker may be mounted in a receptacle having limited dimensions and the conducting line may extend toward the breaker in a direction transverse to the length of the breaker with the end portion of the conducting line being bent over at a right angle near the cavity. A conducting line so shaped can be moved into and out of the connected position with limited space available in the receptacle. Moreover, it is relatively easy for a worker to move the connecting part of the conducting line downward into the connected position when the terminal clamp means of the terminal connector is in the open position. With the clamp means being movable about an axis transverse to the sidewalls of the cavity and along a plane parallel to the sidewalls of the cavity, the clamp means may be supported on the clamp support for movement between the open and closed positions and the terminal connector can be supported between barriers that extend higher than the top of the terminal connector to insulate the terminal connector from adjacent conductors or from an adjacent terminal connector that may be positioned in an adjacent cavity. With the clamp means so supported, the dimension in the cavity between the barriers can be kept at a minimum. The clamp-type terminal connector comprises a retaining member that cooperates with the clamp support and with the screw connector to effectively provide contact pressure upon rotation of the screw connector to the pressure-connecting position and to readily release the clamp means upon rotation of the screw connector to a releasing position.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, an insulating support comprising a base part and a pair of barriers extending from said base part to form a cavity open at the top and at at least one end thereof, a clamp-type electrical connector comprising a clamp support and clamp means, said clamp support comprising a pair of generally parallel spaced sidewalls forming a pocket open at the top and at at least one end thereof, means supporting said clamp means on said clamp support for unitary movement generally along a plane generally parallel to said sidewalls, means supporting said clamp support in said cavity With said open top of said pocket aligned with said open top of said cavity and with said open end of said pocket aligned with said open end of said cavity, a conductor comprising a conducting part positioned in said cavity and in said pocket, said clamp means being unitarily movable along said plane to an open position wherein said top of said pocket and said top of said cavity are open whereby a conducting line may be moved downward through the open top of said cavity and the open top of said pocket to a mounted position extending into said cavity and said pocket from said open end of said cavity and said pocket, said clamp means being unitarily movable from said open position to a closed position closing the top of said pocket in which closed position said clamp means engages said conducting line, said clamp means comprising support means and a screw connector on said support means, in said closed position of said clamp means said screw connector being screwable on said support means to a pressure-connecting position to exert pressure on said conducting line to thereby provide a pressure connection between said conducting line and said conductor.

2. A combination according to claim 1, said clamp support comprising a generally U-shaped part comprising a bight part and said spaced sidewalls extending upward from said bight part, said clamp support having a separate opening therein in each of said sidewalls, said support means comprising a generally L-shaped support, said screw connector being threadedly supported on one leg of said generally L-shaped support, said generally L-shaped support being pivotally supported at the other leg thereof on said clamp support for movement between said open and closed positions about an axis generally normal to said sidewalls, a retaining member having a pair of retaining parts and being threadedly supported on said screw connector, said clamp means being movable to said closed position by pivotal movement of said support, and in said closed position said screw connector being rotatable during which movement said retaining parts move into said openings in said sidewalls to a retaining position such that upon further rotation of said screw connector said retaining member cooperates with said clamp support to resist releasing movement of said clamp means whereby said screw connector exerts pressure on said conducting line to pressure-connect said conducting line with said conductor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,147,160 2/1939 Hagist et a1 339272U 2,716,227 8/1955 Cook 339274 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,200,407 9/ 1965 Germany 339--272.l

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

